Early liquidity planning is a key to corporate security
In today's ever-changing economic environment, ensuring liquidity is crucial for the success and survival of companies. Careful liquidity planning at an early stage is a major challenge that is often only tackled when financial bottlenecks arise. It turns out that companies usually have to close not because of over-indebtedness, but because of a lack of solvency. Stefan Vogel (Head of Ecclesia Credit Mid Market) is an expert in the area of liquidity management. He provides valuable tips for protection against unforeseen liquidity risks.
Mr. Vogel, liquidity is fundamental to the financial stability and growth of companies. What are the most common liquidity risks that companies face?
Stefan Vogel: There are a variety of liquidity risks. Among the most common are financing bottlenecks due to a more restrictive lending policy on the part of banks, bad debts and payment delays due to the dwindling creditworthiness of customers, as well as interest and exchange rate risks, especially for companies with international connections. Added to this is cost inflation due to rising prices for raw materials, energy and intermediate products, as well as late payments to suppliers, which may ease the pressure on a company's own liquidity, but can strain relations with suppliers.
That sounds like a multitude of potential challenges. Are there any other risks that companies should be aware of?
Stefan Vogel: Another risk is the need for investment, usually in fixed assets, but also in digitalization. In addition to a cost plan, comprehensive liquidity planning is also needed. Furthermore, long payment terms for customers and insufficient liquidity reserves are problematic. Rapid growth without financial planning can also lead to bottlenecks. Other important factors include insufficient monitoring of receivables, excessive warehousing and financing through short-term loans.
How can companies avoid these risks and protect themselves against unforeseen liquidity bottlenecks and risks?
Stefan Vogel: It always makes sense to address solvency at an early stage, ideally in phases when there is no specific bottleneck. Often, inquiries only come in when a liquidity problem has already occurred or is looming. Then a solution has to be found quickly out of an emergency and under time pressure. However, it is better to discuss liquidity from a position of strength. This saves time and money. That's why we strongly recommend that business owners address the issue of liquidity as early as possible and carry out regular liquidity planning and adjust it to current circumstances.
What factors are classic liquidity traps for companies?
Stefan Vogel: Liquidity traps often arise from external factors such as market changes, for example, geopolitical influences such as rising tariffs that increase purchasing costs that cannot be passed on to customers. This affects liquidity. Companies should therefore evaluate their assets at an early stage and create options for generating liquidity, such as receivables financing, inventory financing or leasing. It is important to simulate various liquidity models to check the effects of changes, for example in payment terms, and to be able to intervene at an early stage.
How does Ecclesia Credit deal with this topic and what solutions are already available for your customers?
Stefan Vogel: In addition to a comprehensive market overview of liquidity and alternative financing models, we at Ecclesia Credit also offer specialized consulting in credit management. We place particular emphasis on analyzing the individual factors along the entire value chain together with the customer and developing a well-founded liquidity plan. In the next step, we identify which assets can be used to close liquidity gaps or as liquidity reserves. Our approach is not product-oriented, but designed to develop individual solutions for securing liquidity, because solvency and liquidity are the decisive factors for the survival of almost all companies.
Can these tips also be applied to private use?
Stefan Vogel: We at Ecclesia Credit are not in the private client segment, but in some ways the topics can be transferred. You should also take care of your liquidity planning early on in your private life – I myself have had one for 20 years. Even if the private expenditure side is not so easy to control, you can plan short-, medium- and long-term investments of your assets. It is important to build up reserves and maintain liquidity in order to be able to make private investments when they are needed.